| 15th Infantry Division "Bergamo" | |
|---|---|
 15th Infantry Division "Bergamo" insignia | |
| Active | 1939–1943 |
| Country |  Kingdom of Italy |
| Branch |  Royal Italian Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Garrison/HQ | Opatija |
| Engagements | World War II |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | GeneralPietro Belletti |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |       Bergamo Divisiongorget patches |
The15th Infantry Division "Bergamo" (Italian:15ª Divisione di fanteria "Bergamo") was aninfantrydivision of theRoyal Italian Army duringWorld War II. The Bergamo was based inIstria and named for the city ofBergamo.[1][2]
After theSecond Italian War of Independence theAustrian Empire had to cede theLombardy region of theKingdom of Lombardy–Venetia to theKingdom of Sardinia. After taking control of the region the government of Sardinian ordered theRoyal Sardinian Army on 29 August 1859 to raise five infantry brigades and one grenadier brigade in Lombardy. Subsequently on 1 November 1859 the Brigade "Bergamo" was activated with the newly raised 25th and 26th infantry regiments.[3]
The brigade fought on theItalian front inWorld War I. On 20 October 1926 the brigade command and the 25th Infantry Regiment were disbanded, while the26th Infantry Regiment was transferred to the XV Infantry Brigade. The XV Infantry Brigade, which also included the73rd Infantry Regiment "Lombardia" and the 74th Infantry Regiment "Lombardia", was the infantry component of the 15th Territorial Division ofPola, which also included the 4th Artillery Regiment. On 25 January 1930 the division moved toVolosko and consequently changed its name to 15th Territorial Division of Volosca. On 24 March 1932 the division moved toOpatija and changed its name to 15th Territorial Division of Abbazia. In 1934 the division changed its name to 15th Infantry Division "Carnaro".[1][4][5]
On 24 May 1939 the 73rd Infantry Regiment "Lombardia" inRijeka changed its name to 25th Infantry Regiment "Bergamo", while the 12th Infantry Regiment "Casale" of the12th Infantry Division "Sassari" inTrieste changed its name to 73rd Infantry Regiment "Lombardia". The same day the division ceded the 74th Infantry Regiment "Lombardia" to the newly activated57th Infantry Division "Lombardia" and changed its name to 15th Infantry Division "Bergamo". Also on the same day the XV Infantry Brigade was dissolved, with the 25th and 26th infantry regiments coming under direct command of the division, while the 4th Artillery Regiment received the name "Bergamo".[1]
On 10 June 1940, the day Italy enteredWorld War II, the Bergamo was deployed along the border withYugoslavia in theRijeka-Brešca-Klana sector. The division remained in the area on border patrol duty until theinvasion of Yugoslavia on 6 April 1941. The Bergamo crossed the border on 6 April and on 11 April it broke through Yugoslavian defences on the Veli Vrh summit nearDrenova and capturedKastav hill the same day. On 12 April it reachedBakar and continued to advance South along theDalmatian coast. On 16 April 1941 the Bergamo capturedŽuta Lokva village. After Yugoslavia's surrender the division was stationed inDalmatia and garrisonedMakarska,Livno,Sinj,Ljubuški,Imotski and the island ofBrač.
From 22–25 July 1941 the Bergamo foughtYugoslav partisans nearDrvar. Another surge of fighting with Yugoslav partisans entering theIndependent State of Croatia occurred from 9 October to 9 November 1941. Afterwards the main duties of the Bergamo were coastal defence, road protection and peacekeeping among the local communities. In June 1942 the division suppressed a major partisan revolt in theLika region. The Bergamo took part in the anti-partisan Operation Alba in Croatia from 12 August to 2 September 1942. The aim of Operation Alba was to destroy partisan groups in theBiokovo area 40-50 kilometres east ofSplit. Italian forces burned down ten villages and killed and arrested several hundred people.[6][7] In 1943 the division was garrisoned inSplit and increasingly bloody skirmishes with partisans were fought.
While the Bergamo was on occupation duty in Yugoslavia the division'sregimental depots in Italy raised the156th Infantry Division "Vicenza": the depot of the 25th Infantry Regiment "Bergamo" raised the 277th Infantry Regiment "Vicenza", the depot of the 26th Infantry Regiment "Bergamo" raised the 278th Infantry Regiment "Vicenza", and the depot of the 4th Artillery Regiment "Bergamo" raised the 156th Artillery Regiment "Vicenza".[8]
After announcement of theArmistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943 the Bergamo fought briefly theinvading German forces of the GermanXV Mountain Corps. After the Bergamo surrendered the Germans executed some of the division's officers in retaliation for their resistance.
15th Infantry Division "Bergamo", inOpatija[1][2]Attached from 1941:[2]
Attached in 1943:[2]
The division's commanding officers were:[1][2]
The names of three men attached to the division can be found in theCentral Registry of War Criminals and Security Suspects (CROWCASS) set up by the Anglo-AmericanSupreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force in 1945. The names can be found at:Central Registry of War Criminals and Security Suspects from the Kingdom of Italy.